Maine

[buckabucka]

LG, it is best to store the eggs in a humid area at 55 - 60 degrees. I put a little water in the bottom of a cooler, add a couple frozen containers of ice, put a wire rack on top, and then add a layer of cardboard. The eggs sit on top of that and I put a block under one end of the cooler for rotating.

I know people have hatched eggs out of the refrigerator, so I imagine they can get close to 32 degrees, but that would not be ideal.

I don't really have a direct answer to your question! The worst thing is swings in temperature.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yeah, I'm most concerned about the chill before they make it into her house. She should be able to collect about 2 dozen for me in a week's time. EE x EE, RIR, PBR. I was reading a thread last night regarding the breeding of the leg-bar. It only takes 3 generations, so I may play around with that, eventually working towards an Auto-sexing rose combed bird. I don't want to start any more birds this year than already planned, which is still more than I have immediate housing for, so I may work with existing birds and try mixing EE and Dominique to produce an olive egger auto sexing bird. If nothing else, it should keep me amused for a year or 2.

 

[ashandvine]

FTR Those jap beetles we collected in jars in the freezer went very very quickly. Ducks and chickens liked them.
Nearly full bator. Let's hope I can keep it nice and steady with no power outages or anything else wacky.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm glad they enjoyed the beetles. I visited the flock that will be providing my hatching eggs. The roo is beautiful. The egg yolks are nice and big, all eggs are fertile. I gave a batch of FF, some nutri-drench, and some mixed sprouts with extra seeds to provide plenty of sprouts between now and end of collection. The EE provides a nice big blue egg. Too bad there's only one of her!

 

[thatsjustducky]

I'm writing up a bit of information for my friend who will be collecting her girl's fertile eggs for me. Does any one recollect any information about how chilled an egg can get before the embryo is damaged/killed? Of course, I'm hoping for warm weather the week she collects! She'll be starting them on fermented feed and Nutri-drench, as well as sprouts this weekend, so they'll have a good week of extra nutrients before collection begins.

Some one on FB claims to have had a hatch rate of 5/6 of FROZEN eggs.

 

[GrafixMuse]

I think I will get mail delivered again in about a month or maybe even two. I still have a mailbox but it is buried and I have given up clearing out in front of it. Too much ice and heavy wet snow for the snow blower to touch and I refuse to throw my back out by shoveling it out. The driveway is not much better. I still had about half of it left to clear today and made a futile attempt with the snow blower. Where I needed to clear snow is also the low spot where water collects. Under the snow was about three inches of water. I quickly gave up and just used the truck to squash the snow down. Had no choice since I needed to get a round bale of hay in with the horses which meant driving over that part of the driveway.

The birds were happy though. Plenty of warm sun. Water to play in for the ducks. A person for two of the chickens to perch on while I tried to feed them. (At least they are friendly so I can not complain too much). Then there was the one goat who still insists on jumping out of her pen to see what is going on.

We live on a cul-de-sac and there is just nowhere to put the snow after the plow clears the area. I have a temporary mailbox in a sand bucket that I drag out into the street so I can have mail delivered. It is going to take forever for the snowbank to melt.

 

[SanCarlos6127]

Anyone have fertile eggs available in the Waterville, Newport, Bangor, or Belfast areas? I am looking for 12-15 purebred brown eggs to hatch for meat birds and egg layers.

Thanks for any help!

 

[suzMEchicks]

March 1st and it is -8 degrees this morning. Poor chickens. Poor us!

 

[Wee Acre Farm]

Hatching like crazy here on the farm. Current hatch has 2 chicks left and then it is time to get ready for the next on Monday. Brooder boxes set up everywhere with an air purifier to cut down on the chick dust, seems to be working too. Unless the weather breaks and it warms up I won't be bringing chicks to swaps for a while. I have been lucky enough to have orders for chicks and hatching eggs that takes me well into April.

Winter was harsh but luckily the farm came away with only 1 loss. Frostbite only appeared on my Bard Roo who likes to sunk his head in the water even then it was not a bad case. Finally got all 4 barns/ 9 pens all cleaned out and new bedding in, had to wait for it to thaw enough, I know the girls really appreciated it cause I got extra eggs.

 

[ashandvine]

Anyone have fertile eggs available in the Waterville, Newport, Bangor, or Belfast areas? I am looking for 12-15 purebred brown eggs to hatch for meat birds and egg layers.

Thanks for any help!

There's lots of folks. If you want a pure breed you might want to specify which you prefer or what traits you prefer/dislike so someone can answer. There's quite the variety, then how many you want and how much you are willing to spend. Pure breeds often cost more.